More new Mercs?

Yup, the Stuttgart firm seemingly intends to dominate the Geneva Motor Show with new cars and here's the latest debutante to be revealed, the graceful C-Class Cabriolet. It's very closely related to the C-Class Coupé and looks for all the world like a junior S-Class Cabriolet.

Tasty. Tell us about the roof.

It's a canvas affair, supposedly based on that of the S-Class Cabriolet, offered in four different colours. It folds away behind the rear seats at the touch of a curvy new button in under 20 seconds and it can be raised or lowered on the move up to about 31mph. Boot space with the roof up is 360 litres (the C-Class Coupé holds 400 litres), though this reduces to 285 litres with the top down. If the two rear seats are not in use, however, their backs can fold down in a 50/50 split to expand the space. Oddly, rear seat occupants of the Cabriolet get a little more headroom than those in the Coupé.

Same engines as the Coupé too?

More or less, and there's a wide range to suit all budgets and markets. Diesel buyers can choose from the C 220 d or the C 250 d, using 170hp/400Nm and 204hp/500Nm versions of the familiar 2.1-litre engine. A six-speed manual gearbox is standard here, with the option of a nine-speed automatic. The C 220 d is also offered with 4Matic four-wheel drive and in rear-wheel drive format is the most efficient model in the line-up, emitting as low as 116g/km and returning 62.8mpg.

And what about petrol power?

There are even more options here, reflecting a preference for petrol power in the convertible market. The entry-level C-Class Cabriolet is badged C 180. Its 1.6-litre engine produces 156hp and 250Nm of torque, while emissions are pegged at 135g/km. This car takes 8.9 seconds to hit 62mph from rest. The C 200, C 250 and C 300 are all powered by a turbocharged four-cylinder 2.0-litre unit, with power outputs between 184- and 245hp and up to 370Nm of torque. The C 300 does 0-62mph in 6.4 seconds and is limited to 155mph. Of these, only the C 200 can be had with 4Matic four-wheel drive, though all can be specified with a nine-speed auto.

Anything with more cylinders?

Topping the range are two distinctly different models, powered by twin-turbocharged V6 engines of 3.0-litre capacity. The C 400 4Matic has 333hp and 480Nm at its disposal, resulting in a 0-62mph time of 5.2 seconds, while the sportiest model has been developed by Mercedes-AMG. It's called the C 43 4Matic and it gets 367hp and 520Nm of torque, dropping the 0-62mph time further, to just 4.8 seconds. The C 43 also gets unique styling, setting it apart even from the AMG Line cars.

Haven't we seen that badge before?

Indeed we have, on the C43 AMG saloon from 1999. It will be relaunched in Geneva as the new understudy to the more hardcore C 63 and though Mercedes has only told us about Coupé and Cabriolet versions as yet, we wouldn't bet against the badge appearing on the back of the C-Class Saloon and Estate in the very near future.

Shane O' Donoghue - 29 Feb 2016